The Optimist Club of Arlington honored local law enforcement, courts and jail personnel at its annual “Respect for Law” luncheon this week.
“It means a lot to the public-safety community to have the recognition from the community,” Police Chief Andy Penn said at the event, held at Washington Golf & Country Club.
A man has been found guilty of breaking into his former girlfriend’s Arlington apartment to hold her captive, threaten her life and sexually assault her across a terrifying 48 hours.
Johnson Wan faces up to life in prison after jurors convicted him following a three-day trial last week.
Two men remain behind bars after allegedly throwing rocks at a Ballston towing business and then stabbing an employee who confronted them.
Edison Mendez Hernandez, 19, was denied bond at a hearing in Arlington Circuit Court today (Tuesday), according to court records. Yuvin Silverio Sis Tista, 20, was also ordered to remain in custody after a hearing in Arlington County General District Court on Friday.
County Board members took action on Saturday (Oct. 17) that could lead to expansion of a court program focused on offenders with mental illnesses.
The county is submitting a proposal to state officials for a behavioral health docket within the county’s circuit court. If approved by the Virginia Supreme Court, the post-plea program will serve some individuals charged with felony offenses who are suffering from serious mental illness or a combination of mental illness and developmental disabilities.
One piece of litigation over Arlington’s Missing Middle zoning ordinance is reaching the final leg of its journey, although the larger legal fight is far from over.
The Virginia Supreme Court has been reviewing a ruling from the Court of Appeals that allowed Arlington County to resume issuing permits under the Expanded Housing Options (EHO) in mid-2025 — a decision that has let developers continue building up to six-unit buildings in previously single-family-only neighborhoods. The high court is scheduled to hear arguments in that case on Oct. 28, which will inform a final ruling.
A man who says he suffered serious injuries during an immigration arrest on Columbia Pike has filed a federal claim alleging excessive force and seeking damages.
Jose Mejia Hernandez filed against the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement today (Tuesday), seeking $35 million in damages for the incident in which he claims he was shot with a Taser and hit by a federal officer’s motor vehicle while fleeing ICE.
A former youth minister in Falls Church has been indicted on federal charges related to child sex abuse.
Jeffrey Taylor, who served as youth minister at The Falls Church from 1990 to 2002, is accused of sexually abusing multiple boys that he allegedly groomed “under the guise of spiritual guidance,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced in a press release today (Tuesday).
About 35,000 Arlington and Falls Church residents will find a postcard in their mailbox this month asking whether they can serve on a jury next year.
The Arlington Circuit Court is beginning its annual juror qualification process in early September, mailing questionnaires to residents drawn at random from voter registration rolls, according to a county press release. Jury commissioners appointed by the court will review the responses this fall to determine who is eligible to serve in 2027.
The Arlington County Courthouse has begun allowing visitors to carry cellphones, laptops and other electronics inside, lifting a longstanding ban on the devices.
The change went into effect on July 1 in compliance with a new state law. Devices had previously been banned in the courthouse, requiring visitors who arrived with devices to secure them in lockers on the ground floor of the Arlington County Jail.
A man who says he was badly injured during an immigration arrest on Columbia Pike is demanding a criminal investigation.
Protesters gathered outside the Arlington County Justice Center this morning (Friday) in support of Jose Mejia Hernandez, who says he suffered a brain bleed and other injuries after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers reportedly chased him and shot him with a Taser earlier this month.
A former substitute teacher has been found guilty of engaging in a sexual relationship with a Washington-Liberty High School student.
Timothy Thomas McGhee was found guilty of taking indecent liberties with a minor after a three-day trial, the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced in a press release. The verdict followed a previous trial in December, where a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury.
Despite pending legal challenges at the state and local level, Arlington prosecutors still consider Virginia’s new assault weapons ban the law of the land.
“Yes, we plan to prosecute cases under the assault weapons ban if they are brought to us by the police,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow, taking a position that tracks with the view of Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones.
